1. Worship: How do we approach it?
Ephesians 4:17-31
Years ago when the billionaire Howard Hughes died, his company’s public relations director asked the casinos in Las Vegas, where Hughes owned multiple casinos, to show him respect by giving him a minute of silence. For an uncomfortable sixty seconds, the casinos fell eerily silent. Then a pit boss looked at his watch, leaned forward, and whispered, “Okay, roll the dice. He’s had his minute.”
Can’t help but wonder if sometimes we treat God as those gamblers in Las Vegas treated Howard Hughes. We interrupt our busy schedules once a week, rush into the church, give God “His hour,” and then forget about Him and get back to what we’d rather be doing.
Worship is not the slow song that the choir sings. Worship is not the amount you place in the offering basket. Worship is not volunteering in church activity. Yes, these may be acts or expressions of worship, but they do not define what true worship really is. There are numerous definitions of the word worship. True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness. Thus, if your lifestyle does not express the beauty of holiness through an extravagant or exaggerated love for God, and you do not live in extreme or excessive submission to God, then make worship a non-negotiable priority in your life.
“Worship is not an event, it’s a lifestyle”
When we say we are true worshippers, our lives must show it. Our character shows our true worship. What happens on stage is an overflow of what happens in our lives. And when we encourage people to worship God, how true are we to ourselves? Are we in the right place to say it, when our lives don’t have true worship? If I don’t truly worship, how can I help somebody else in worship? When I’m not in the right relationship with God, how can I tell somebody else to love God? When I’m not praising him with my life, how can I tell somebody else to praise God?
It all starts from within. The revival that you want to see in others, begins from you.
“How can I lead the path, when I myself are lost?”
God is seeking worshipers who will bring Him glory, not just for an hour on Sunday, but every day through all their activities. We can’t properly worship God on Sundays if we’re not worshiping Him throughout the week. Since God is seeking true worshipers who worship Him in spirit and truth, we should make it our priority to become such worshipers.
The responsibility of those who lead the corporate worship is huge. We are accountable to both people and more important to God who called you. When we are not in a right place with God, we are not being true to ourselves and to God.
And when we make a choice to be strongly rooted in the word, to throw away all the sinful nature of our heart and to focus on God and live our lives in complete dedication to the one who called us, that is when true worship emanates from your life, that is when you can lead the congregation into true worship, that is when revival begins, that is when you become a true worshipper.
If that is the case, ask ourselves, am I a true worshipper? If the answer is not in your favor, then it's time to make some changes, because you are accountable to those who chose you to be in this position and more importantly you are accountable to God who found you worthy.
Let’s live a life pleasing to God and blameless before men.
Wherever we are, can we take a moment to ask God to help us become true worshippers? To give us the grace to carry out our responsibilities and to efficiently use our talents in a way that will bring glory to God and blessing to men. Commit our lives for true worship.
2. Worship: Who do we do it with?
Colossians 3:12-17
We worship the same God. We celebrate the same Saviour. We sing the same song. But we’re all different, we come from different upbringings, different social setups, different cultural backgrounds, different religious understandings and we all come together to worship the same God. The God we worship doesn’t see us like that, we are all equally loved by God.
And when we are called by this God into a union, we must also be like Jesus who showed us the model of how to love each other and to take care of one another. Loving one another is a command by Jesus. When we love one another there’s the true worship that happens. How can you worship God when you don’t love your neighbor? How can you lead others into worship when you are bitter about your fellow brother or sister? How can you encourage the congregation to worship when you’re jealous of a fellow believer's life? How can you bring heaven down when you have grudge against the one sitting next to you? Wake up each day and let love take you over. When love takes you over, you become a true worshipper.
The reason we many times don’t let Love control us is that we still hold on to the age-old saying, ‘Ignorance is Bliss’. Ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s just a fancy excuse for being lazy’. We become ignorant about the plight of others and live on with our lives. Loving someone can also inspire you to accomplish some of the most amazing feats you will ever undertake. Some of the world’s greatest musicians, artists, poets, authors have all tried to articulate the magic of love using the talents at their disposal. While all that is good and amazing, there are only a few who have tried to show love through their actions. And that makes a lot of difference.
Sure, songs and poems can touch someone, but nothing shows love like when you actually express it to somebody who is in need. If we take a step to love someone, and no, not just on social media, but take a look around, there are people who deserve love but don’t get it. Give yourself to love and let Love take you over, and heal a broken heart, calm a stormy heart, embrace a lonely soul and turn a frown upside down.
When you can truly love and appreciate your fellow brother/sister is when we bring a pleasing sacrifice unto the Lord.
We all know the story of the walls of Jericho falling down. The walls of Jericho did not fall down because of Israel’s political power or strength and tactics in warfare. The walls came tumbling down because they obeyed what God said as a single army. It’s not power that bought the walls down, it was unity. When his people called and separated decide to stand united on the calling and purpose of God, the enemy walls are going to come crumbling down. Became alone we may, together we can! Now, maybe you have been hurt by people you love or emotionally scarred by those around you, and it may be difficult to forgive them and maybe you may not be able to restore the relationship to its former glory, but as a child of God, One must try.
What Would Jesus Do? He forgave those who killed him, kissed the one who betrayed him, embraced the one who deserted him, loved the ones who hated him. If our master can do it, and we are called to be like him, why can’t we? It may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. It may not happen overnight, but it’ll happen in due time. Because as long as you have grief in your heart and grudge in your mind, no matter how much noise you make or “Worship” God, it won’t do any good, for you and for anyone else. Because worship is the overflow of your heart and if your heart is filled with hate, what exactly do you think overflows? Like James writes, “the same spring that brings forth salt water cannot bring forth sweet water”. You cannot hate your fellow believer and love God. Anything that comes from such a heart is not true worship and it does not please God. So we need to start making amends and start to forgive and forget and as you wake up each day, let love take you over. Because a united church is one of the greatest weapons in the arsenal.
Let’s take a moment to seek the face of God as we ask Him to help us forgive those who have wronged us, and to ask for forgiveness to the ones we’ve wronged. Asked him to fill you with the same love that loved the enemy and took the cross. Ask him to make you like him. Ask him to fill your hearts with love so that you become a true worshipper. Ask his help to get over past traumas and grudges so that we can once again together be an army united, fighting for the Lord, fighting against the enemy that tries to divide and conquer us, to stay united, and to see as walls come tumbling down. And let’s worship him united in one accord.
3. Worship: Why do we do it?
Revelation 4:6-11
“Worship is the proper response of all moral, sentient beings to God, ascribing all honor and worth to their Creator-God precisely because he is worthy, delightfully so.”
We’ve looked at the How, The Who and now let’s look at the Why? Why do we Worship?
We are all worshippers and we aim to be better worshippers and we do everything we can to achieve it. We do not worship just because we enjoy the emotion or sensation of doing so. Worship makes us feel good, but that is not to be our primary motivation for worshiping God. We worship God because He desires us to and it pleases Him.
God is Creator and He is worthy of our worship! We worship Him because of His transcendence, uniqueness, and holiness. We find God’s presence as we worship Him with music.
In Psalm 100, we are taught to come into God’s presence with songs of joy and to enter His gates with rejoicing. God becomes enthroned on our praises. In Psalm 22, the Bible says that God is holy and that He sits enthroned upon the praises of Israel. God literally sits on His praise! Our praise for Him becomes the throne He rests upon. When we praise, God comes. And when God comes into any atmosphere, it changes as He takes dominion. God is worthy to be worshiped!
We are beneficiaries of worship, but should not be the primary ones. Our motivation to worship should be greater than that. True worship is never self-serving or self-centered Why do we worship him? We’ve all had those times when it’s hard to worship God or when circumstances can cause us to forget the things God has already done for us.
When you can’t think of reasons to worship or you just want to worship God for something you don’t think of normally, let these inspire you!
• We Worship God because of Who He Is
• We Worship God because of What He has done for us
• We Worship God because He commands us to
• We Worship God to Bless and Honour Him
• We Worship God because we love Him
• We Worship God because of what He is doing in our lives
• We Worship God so that we might draw near to him
When God means much to us, we will worship Him. Adoration, exaltation, and appreciation will be impossible to hide as we fall deeper in love with God.
The psalms are an example of worship and the main contributor David had an experience with the Lord. God had rescued him and refreshed him. David had experienced the presence of God. He was changed. And, he couldn't be silent about it. David was exuberant in song and praise. He was excited. He could not contain his joy, his happiness, his relief. He had to shout and sing.
And it wasn't just any song that David sang. It was a new song. There were freshness and newness to his experience with God. It was as though he were seeing God again for the first time. Each time one is amazed and entranced. Each person wants to see it again and again. Furthermore, his singing was praiseful - it was worship. David was expressing a song of gratitude to God for who he is, what he said, and what he was doing. For David knew that the source of his good fortune was none other than God himself.
Let’s take a moment to ask our Heavenly Father, please fill me with your Spirit. Cleanse my heart of all unrighteousness. Help me to see who You are. Father, help me to let go of all those things inside of me that are holding me back from truly worshiping you. Let me find You today. Let me come before you with a broken spirit and a humble heart. Help me to trust You always.
